Newcastle United are looking at Holland, Austria and Switzerland after prices rise in France - but Eredivisie is the place to go

The imminent purchase of Remy Cabella from Montpellier proves that Newcastle United’s black and white tanks remain firmly on the Ligue 1 lawn.

A £12m deal for one of the leading lights of that league (who doesn’t play in Paris, anyway) is proof that United’s network over the channel remains in decent nick.

Talk of the club having been sussed out in France looks to have been premature but it would be remiss not to record a definite shifting of the gears from Newcastle’s smart scouting team.

France remains a rich source of players but it is no longer value central for Newcastle, and United’s owner Mike Ashley remains intent on nursing the bottom line.

So United have shifted their attention elsewhere in the battle for bargains – with Holland emerging as the new market.

As it stands at the moment, United have had to pay slightly over their valuation for Cabella. They have already been warned off Clement Grenier and a move for Alexandre Lacazette seems to be complicated by Lyon and the player himself shooting for something loftier than Newcastle’s £9m valuation.

But in Holland, the prices are closer to Newcastle’s liking. Feyenoord will haggle over Daryl Janmaat, but they are unlikely to ask for more £6m.

Head coach Louis van Gaal of the Netherlands and Georginio Wijnaldum

That was the starting price for Toulouse right-back Serge Aurier when United made an initial enquiry a couple of weeks ago.

Ligue 1 is no longer easy pickings. There are problems, of course – Lens might be denied entry to the top flight because of their financial woes and Cannes are on the brink of extinction – but this is a league enjoying something of a renaissance.

Paris Saint-Germain have flooded the market with cash and there is renewed interest from the wider world in the league, which has emboldened some of the clubs behind the moneyed elite at Monaco and PSG.

United remain a big deal in France but they are not finding the doors as easy to push across the channel as they are in Holland.

Working closely with agents like Louis Laros – who handles the affairs of Siem de Jong – have made things easier for them.

Sources across Europe speak of other new frontiers being looked at. Austria, Switzerland and parts of Spain that others aren’t sweeping up are being talked up.

Belgium remains one of those leagues that is worth looking at, although United are not as ingrained in that market as others.

Holland is the one that is bearing fruit, though.

It is not especially new that United are hunting for rough diamonds in the Eredivisie.

Cheick Tiote

Two years ago, the club were assembled a dossier on Georginio Wijnaldum – one of the key engine room lieutenants for Holland during their run to the World Cup semi-finals in Brazil.

At 23 and with nearly 200 league games under his belt, he remains under consideration by Newcastle. Should they require a replacement for Cheick Tiote or countryman Vurnon Anita, he might yet be one to watch.

So what has changed for Newcastle and the other clubs who are now looking to Holland? Michiel Jongsma of the excellent Dutch football website benefoot.net has a theory.

“I think it is the end of the Afonso Alves effect,” he laughs.

“For a few years people were wary of the Eredivisie because of Alves but that is finally wearing off now. I think because of the technical levels of Dutch players and the way that the league is advancing, clubs in England and elsewhere are starting to look at it again.

“Ajax have beaten Manchester City and Manchester United and Dutch players are good both technically and tactically.”

Newcastle United signing Siem de Jong

The purchase of Siem de Jong is a case in point. United were the only realistic bidders for a player who has captained Ajax – but that should not put anyone off. He remains a player who can prise open a defence and can score too.

The one note of caution for Premier League supporters who think that the Eredivisie imports will excel straight away is that their league is less physical than England.

“I think that the Eredivisie is excellent technically and tactically but we don’t have many of the big physical defenders that there are in England,” Jongsma says.

Next up for Newcastle to add to their growing Dutch contingent would be Daryl Janmaat, the man who would be Mathieu Debuchy.

“I think he is a very good player and a good right-back. He’s played well at the World Cup and it is a big step going from the Eredivisie to the World Cup,” Jongsma said. “He may take some time to settle in. A couple of months maybe but he is disciplined and he is a good replacement for Debuchy. He doesn’t have as much experience – but he will get that.”

The other advantage for United? Their reputation remains intact despite the messiness of the last 18 months.

Jongsma said: “Newcastle is seen as a big club in Netherlands. It has a big following, a great stadium and played Champions League football in 2000’s, when the current players got to know football a bit.

“Plus Shearer and Bobby Robson have quite a status in Netherlands.

“This was exemplified by Frank de Boer, who said he’d like to work for a sleeping giant, such as Liverpool was, now Spurs and Newcastle.”

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